Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-m8qmq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T11:07:38.826Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Back Pain: A Study of Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

B. Bengtsson  and
J. Thorson
B. Bengtsson*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Umeå, Sweden
J. Thorson
Affiliation:
Department of Work Science, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm and the Foundation of Occupational Health and Safety for State Employees, Karlskrona, Sweden
*
Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Umeå, S-901 87 Umeå, Sweden

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

To evaluate the relationship between genetic factors and back pain, 5029 MZ and 7876 DZ twin pairs were investigated by a questionnaire. The data were analyzed with regard to physical symptoms, eg, back pain, and certain work conditions. Pain was reported by about 17% of the male and 13% of the female twins in the material. The occurrence of back pain was strongly associated with work load, especially among the male twins. Twin concordance regarding back pain was considerably higher in MZ than in DZ twins. Of four groups who were studied, statistically significant differences between the two twin categories were observed in three cases. This result supports the assumption that a relationship exists between genetic factors and the occurrence of back pain. Official registrations for sick-leave pay in a sample of 247 twins confirmed the interview information on back pain. Just a few cases were wrongly classified, ie, they were sick-listed because of back pain but had stated no back pain in the questionnaire.

Keywords

Back painGenetic factorsTwinsConcordance
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , January 1991 , pp. 83 - 90
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1991

References

REFERENCES

1.Aho, K, Koskenvou, M, Touminen, J, Kaprio, J (1986): Occurrence of rheumatiod arthritis in a nationwide series of twins. J Rheumatol 13:899–902.Google Scholar
2.Anderson, JAD, Duthie, JJR (1963): Rheumatic complaints in dockyard workers. Ann Rheum Dis 22:401–409.Google Scholar
3.Arbetarskyddsfonden, (1976): Back Injuries and Work (in Swedish). Rapport 1976:1. Stockholm.Google Scholar
4.Cederlöf, R, Friberg, L, Jonsson, E, Kaij, L (1961): Studies on similarity diagnosis in twins with aid of mailed questionnaires. Acta Genet 11:338–362.Google Scholar
5.Cederlöf, R (1966): The Twin Method in Epidemiological Studies on Chronic Disease. Stockholm: Esselte AB.Google Scholar
6.Cederlöf, R, Friberg, L. Lundman, T (1977): The interactions of smoking, environment and heredity and their implications for disease etiology. Acta Med Scand Suppl 612.Google Scholar
7.Dworkin, RH, Lenzenweger, MF, Moldin, SO, Skillings, GF, Levick, SE (1988): A multidimensional approach to the genetics of schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 145:1077–1083.Google Scholar
8.Ebers, GC, Bulman, DE, Sadovnick, AD, Paty, DW, Warren, S, Hader, W, Murray, TJ, Seland, TP, Duquette, P, Grey, T, Nelson, R, Nicolle, M, Brunet, D (1986): A population-based study of multiple sclerosis in twins. N Engl J Med 315:1638–1642.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Floderus, B, Cederlöf, R, Friberg, L (1988): Smoking and mortality: A 21-year follow-up based on the Swedish twin registry. Int J Epidemiol 17:332–340.Google Scholar
10.Hirsch, C, Jonsson, B, Lewin, T (1969): Low back symptoms in Swedish female population. Clin Orthop 63:171–176.Google Scholar
11.Hopper, JL, Derrik, PL, Clifford, CA (1987): Innovations in the statistical analysis of twin studies. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 36:21–27.Google Scholar
12.Hult, L (1954): Cervical, dorsal and lumbar spinal syndromes. Acta Orthop Scand Suppl 17.Google Scholar
13.Hult, L (1954): The Munkfors investigation. Acta Orthop Scand Suppl 16.Google Scholar
14.Ikata, T (1965): Statistical and dynamic studies of lesions due to overloading of the spine. Shikoku Acta Med 40:262–286.Google Scholar
15.Kauppila, A, Jouppila, P, Koivisto, Å, Moilanen, I, Ylikorkala, O (1975): Twin pregnancy. A clinical study of 355 cases. Acta Obstet Gyn Scand Suppl 44.Google Scholar
16.Kogstad, O, Gudmundsen, J (1973): Back pain in Skien 1971-1972 (in Norwegian). Telemark Sentralsjukehus, Skien.Google Scholar
17.Kogstad, O, Gudmundsen, J (1978): Back pain. An epidemiological study (in Norwegian). Tidskr Nor Laegefor 98:1076–1078.Google Scholar
18.Lawrence, JS (1955): Rheumatism in coal miners. Part III: Occupational factors. Brit J Industr Med 12:249–261.Google Scholar
19.Magora, A, Taustein, I (1969): An investigation of problem of sick-leave in patients suffering from low back pain. Industr Med Surg 38:398–408.Google ScholarPubMed
20.Marttila, RJ, Kaprio, J, Koskenvuo, M, Rinne UK (1988): Parkinsons disease in a nationwide twin cohort. Neurology 38:1217–1219.Google Scholar
21.Medlund, P, Cederlöf, R, Floderus-Myrhed, B, Friberg, L, Sörensen, S (1976): A new Swedish twin registry. Acta Med Scand Suppl 600.Google Scholar
22.Myrhed, M (1974): Alchohol consumption in relation to factors associated with ischaemic heart disease. Acta Med Scand Suppl 567.Google Scholar
23.Peller, S (1944): Studies on mortality since the renaissance, twins and singletons. Bull Hist Med 16:362.Google Scholar
24.Rowe, ML (1969): Low back pain in industry. J Occup Med 11:161–169.Google Scholar
25.Sabroe, S, Olsen, J (1978): Back symptoms and environmental factors among bricklayers in Denmarck (in Danish). Ugeskr Laeger 140:1299–1304.Google Scholar
26.Sarna, S, Kaprio, J, Sistonen, P, Koskenvuo M (1978): Diagnosis of twin zygosity by mailed questionnaire. Hum Hered 28:241–254.Google Scholar
27.Thorson, J (1975): Long-Term Effects of Traffic Accidents. Lund: Håkan Ohlssons.Google Scholar
28.Torgersen, S (1987): Sampling problems in twin research. J Psychiat Res 21:385–390.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29.Tysk, C, Lindberg, E, Järnerot, G, Floderus-Myrhed, B (1988): Ulcerative colitis and Chrons disease in an unselected population of monozygotic and dizygotic twins. A study of heritability and the influence of smoking. Gut 29:990–996.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Westrin, C-G (1973): Low back sick-listing. A nosological and medical insurance investigation. Scand J Soc Med Suppl 7.Google Scholar